


A Snowball to the Face

by canarycry (Frost_Iron)



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Fake/Pretend Relationship, JayTim Secret Santa, M/M, Rated E for later chapters, fun in the snow, random puppy appearance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-09-27 23:19:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17171372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frost_Iron/pseuds/canarycry
Summary: When Jason and Tim are summoned to Switzerland to act as a fake couple in order to take down a weapons supplier, some hilarity ensues but so does a whole bunch of angst. Follow the boys as they discover what it takes to survive the snow, fights, and close quarters.JayTim Secret Santa fic forflashthroughlightThis will be updated once a week until it's finished!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FlashThroughLight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlashThroughLight/gifts).



Tim overheard the fight going on in the cave before he even made it all the way through the waterfall entrance. It wasn’t unusual for Jason to tear into Bruce for even the slightest mishap, but for Bruce to be screaming at Jason, breaking his usually cool demeanor meant that something must be seriously wrong. Tim silently prayed that no one important was dead...again.

Instead of walking directly in to the line of fire, Tim grappled up to a nearby ledge within the cave and watched as Jason paced in front of the computers. Bruce had seemingly calmed down a bit but Tim could read the tension in his jaw from where he was sitting. 

“You can’t fuckin’ make me do this y’know,” Jason stated, folding his arms over his chest. His helmet was sitting on the table and it was well past patrol time. Had something gone wrong on the streets?

“After what I saw tonight, you could use the break. The mission is easy Jason and you’re going. Unless you want to get out of Gotham permanently,” Bruce growled. 

“It isn’t the mission I have a problem with, it’s that you think I need some fuckin’ babysitter! And you want to put me in the same room with my replacement for god knows how long!” Jason shouted back.

Tim flushed a little and swallowed hard. His crush on Jason had been unbearable lately but their friendship had made things easier -- at least he had thought that Jason had been slowly warming up to him. There hadn’t been any recent attempts on his life and he’d actually started calling him things other than ‘replacement’. Tim’s heart sank slowly; obviously he had been wrong. 

Bruce remained silent, simply glaring at Jason until Tim slowly started to see the younger man’s resistance crack.

“Fine! Fuck you Bruce, this is the last time I do anything for you, got it?” Jason stormed off out of the cave before Bruce could answer, giving Tim time to slip down from the ledge and cautiously approach the Bat.

“What did you sign me up for?” Tim asked, prying off his domino mask as he was finished patrolling for the night. 

Bruce barely glanced his way and grunted. “There is a weapons dealer who has taken residence in Switzerland. You will act as a rich playboy looking to purchase a large quantity of automatic assault rifles and Jason will pose as your bodyguard. --Jason apparently has a problem with working with you...but as he has agreed to go, I expect you to go as well.”

Tim scoffed a little. It was just like Bruce to assume that a former Robin would bend to his every whim, and while Tim would normally just suck it up for the sake of justice, he found himself livid at the idea that to Bruce he was nothing more than an object to be used.

“It’s not like you’ve given me a choice, but kudos for putting me in a room with a guy who has a murderous streak, anger issues, and clearly doesn’t want to be around me,” he spat. Tim tossed his bow staff down and began to march towards the showers before he turned back.

“After this, consider me officially done working for you.”

####

By the time Tim got back to his own apartment it was almost 2AM and he was exhausted. He started peeling his suit off piece by piece, leaving a trail of clothing behind him. By the time he was down to just briefs, he was face first in his comfortable pillows. 

“Well ain’t this a sight to see.” Tim jumped about a mile as Jason smirked, a low whistle leaving his lips. He finished creeping in through Tim’s window and folded his arms over his broad chest. Tim grabbed for a sheet and draped it over himself, though there was likely no point now that Jason had just about seen everything. 

“What are you doing here Jason? Some of us want to get sleep before our nightmare of a mission,” Tim muttered and dragged a hand over his face. 

Jason smirked and perched on the edge of Tim’s bed. Tim grunted as Jason tossed a heavy manilla envelope down on to his lap. The younger man approached the envelope with caution, opening it slowly as if he risked blowing up his entire apartment building by choosing to trust something that Jason had given him.

“Oh relax Timmy, it’s just what I’ve put together for our covers. If it was a bomb, I wouldn’t still be standin’ here. --I’ve made you the rich and nerdy guy looking to purchase a bunch of weapons, and I’ll pose as your bodyguard because let’s face it, there’s no way in hell anyone’s goin’ to believe  _ you’re _ guarding  _ me _ ,” Jason said with a small snort.

Tim flipped him off but opened the envelope anyways and began to go through the files. It seemed to be a rather straightforward mission, so why couldn’t Bruce just handle it on his own? Tim glanced up and nodded. “I’ll go along with your plan as long as you agree to listen to me for once. If you can’t agree to that, then you and Bruce can find someone else to play the damsel in distress,” he added. 

Jason nodded and grabbed the file back which Tim understood as acceptance of his terms.

“Good now get the hell out so I can sleep. You can pick me up in the morning,” Tim stated, not even waiting for Jason to leave before he collapsed back against the pillows. It was lights out for Tim before Jason had even closed the window behind him. 

####

Tim woke up to the sounds of someone very obnoxiously laying on their horn outside of his building. He groaned and rubbed his face, turning to look at his phone which told him it wasn’t even 6:00AM yet. “What the fuck?” He sighed, standing to peek out of his window down at the street. Tim cursed again under his breath when he saw Jason in a car he (hoped) had been borrowed from Bruce. 

He tossed a bag together with some clothes for the mission, having read in the file that it was going to be an overnight mission and added in some toiletries before grabbing a case that concealed his Red Robin uniform and bow staff on the off chance that they needed to mask up. “Gonna wake up the entire goddamn neighborhood,” he grumbled, rubbing his still sleep-bleary eyes. Tim without coffee was a man that planned to eviscerate Jason Peter Todd for being awake at such an ungodly hour. 

Tim locked up his apartment and rushed down the stairs, tossing his bag in the trunk of the car before climbing in. The glare he gave to Jason could have burned holes through the older man.

“Thanks for pissing off all of my neighbors. If I come home to an eviction notice, I’m moving in with you,” Tim spat. He folded his arms over his chest and leaned his head against the window. He heard an exasperated sigh from Jason and some movement before something heavenly wafted up into his nostrils. The rich aroma of a multi-bean blend wrapped Tim in a fog that  _ almost _ got him to forgive Jason.

He reached out for the cup but it was quickly snatched away. “Nuh uh uh baby bird. This coffee comes with strings attached. Are you prepared to accept them?”

Tim frowned and pulled his hand back a little. Jason was playing dirty, knowing Tim would do just about anything short of murder for a cup of coffee -- especially when he was this tired.

“What strings?” Tim asked skeptically. 

Jason smirked and taunted Tim by waving the cup near him. “I want you to sleep through the entire plane ride so that I don’t have to deal with the grumpiness. If you can manage that, I’ll give you the coffee,” he stated. Tim frowned and shrugged. He figured he could always lie now and get the attitude from Jason later.

“Deal, now gimme.” Tim made grabby hands and reached for the cup until Jason handed it over. 

Jason watched, baffled as Tim downed the entire hot coffee in thirty seconds flat, as if the scalding temperatures didn’t affect him at all. The younger vigilante smirked and put the cup down but before he could even get off a reply, Jason barked out a laugh.

“Baby bird zero, Red Hood one. Enjoy the nap Timmers,” Jason cackled, his laughter dying down only as Tim slowly passed out in the passenger seat of the car. 


	2. Chapter 2

When Tim finally woke up, he realized quickly that not only had Jason drugged him and maneuvered him on to the private plane, but that he had somehow changed his clothes as well. He looked down at himself as he rubbed his eyes, catching sight of the hideous pinstriped suit that Jason had elected to put him in. “He is so dead,” Tim muttered as he climbed off of the couch to stretch his legs. 

Based on the trajectory and angle that the sun was streaming in through the small windows, Tim figured that they must have been flying for close to seven hours which meant they were nearly in Switzerland. Tim was pissed about being drugged, but if it meant not having to endure an eight hour flight with a man who was barely more than an enemy (at least in Jason’s eyes), then maybe he’d consider himself lucky. After all, the sooner that this mission was over, the sooner they could get back to their normal lives.

Tim walked up to the cockpit and peered in, finding Jason predictably in the pilot’s seat. 

“What’s the matter, I couldn’t afford to hire a real pilot in this little masquerade of yours? --Fuck you for this disaster of an outfit by the way,” Tim snarked, flopping down into the co-pilot’s chair. 

“You can afford one, you just don’t trust anyone but me cupcake. --And I wanted you to play the part of the preppy douchebag. That means you have to look like one too,” Jason replied, smirking at Tim.

Tim remained silent, choosing to ignore Jason in lieu of snarking back. He wasn’t stupid enough to think that Jason would ever see him as anything more than the role he had just been cast in -- preppy douchebag; someone Jason would normally be miles away from if given the chance. He cleared his throat and leaned back in the chair.

“At least this mission is only an overnight,” Tim muttered. “I promised Steph we could spend Christmas morning together.”

“Whatever floats your boat Timmers. Just make sure your mind is on this mission so we  _ can _ get the fuck out of here as quickly as possible,” Jason added. 

The conversation petered out as Jason prepared the plane for landing and Tim went back to gather his bag and find a seat for the descent. As he buckled in, Tim found himself secretly hoping that maybe this trip would finally bring he and Jason closer.

####

Once the plane landed Tim followed Jason to a brand new top of the line Range Rover, made to traverse the snowy Swiss roads while still giving the appearance of wealth that Tim was meant to be portraying. 

Despite the sleep that had been forced on him, Tim felt restless and uneasy. Jason had been silent for the remainder of the flight and it stayed that way even through the two hour car ride to the modest lodge that Bruce had rented for the mission. But when they walked into the lodge, Tim and Jason got a glimpse into just how  _ modest _ the log cabin was. 

“One fuckin’ bedroom? With one Queen sized bed? Christ my apartment in the Bowery is more spacious,” Jason muttered as he dropped his bag. “I’ll take the couch. M’used to worse and I don’t want to hear you whining, Princess.”

Tim rolled his eyes and slammed the bedroom door shut on Jason. If he wanted to act like an ass, then Tim decided he was allowed step into character and play the diva. He collapsed back on to the bed before rolling on to his stomach to bury his face in the fluffy pillows. Maybe if he took a short nap before they had their dinner with the target, he’d be in a better mood to put up with Jason.

As Tim took a ‘diva nap’, Jason focused on cleaning his guns as it was a process that had always helped clear his head. He couldn’t figure out why Bruce had decided that it was a good idea to pair possibly the two worst people together for a mission in a foreign country, but the friction between him and the replacement was only bound to get worse, right? He sighed and shook his head, loading in the rubber bullets Bruce had insisted he bring before glancing towards the closed door where Tim was sleeping.

Lately Jason had been feeling less slighted by Tim’s existence and more intrigued by how intelligent, witty, and kind he had seen Tim act towards him even when Jason was purposefully acting like a dick. And the thought that he might feel something more for Tim? Well that tied Jason’s stomach up in knots tight enough to make him nauseous. 

He raised his hand, about to knock on the door when it swung open and he was faced with a grumpy but impeccably dressed Timothy Drake Wayne. Jason cleared his throat and let his hand fall, feeling awkward. “You changed…” he murmured.

Tim rolled his eyes and pushed past Jason. “You don’t really think that wearing a disgusting pin striped suit would get these people to take me seriously? I get that you hate me for some reason known only to yourself, but  _ some _ of us take the safety of the modern world seriously so just get your things together and let’s go. We have dinner with Evie and Abraham Lawson in less than thirty minutes and in case you didn’t read their file, they have a tendency to kill anyone that disrespects them which includes those that show up late for dinner.”

Jason simply grunted, not sure how to argue with Tim without causing an epic fight that would  _ definitely  _ put them behind their desired arrival time. Instead he grabbed his leather jacket and pulled it tight to his body. Winter in the Swiss alps was much colder than any he had experienced in Gotham. By the time he had finished attaching various weapons to his body discreetly, Tim was already buckled in the car and waiting.

Tim spent the short drive to the restaurant reading over their file just to make sure their identities would be safe and acceptable in the eyes of the weapons dealers. Tim was masquerading as Carter Curnow and Jason would be his bodyguard, referenced to only with a snap of Tim’s fingers. Because Jason was still legally dead, it was much easier to have him around without anyone looking in to his background whereas Tim’s identity had required a good amount of legwork from both Bruce and Babs to secure.

They had just pulled in to the parking lot when Tim noticed a footnote at the end of the file that had gone previously unseen.

“What the fuck?!” He shouted. Jason had a gun drawn and was looking for the threat before Tim could even take a second breath.

“God damn it replacement! I nearly fuckin’ shot you! What the fuck is so terrifying that you needed to shout like that?” Jason snarled, calming down but still holding the gun.

Tim pointed to the spot in the file that had startled him and simply tossed the paper into Jason’s lap.

“3...2...1--”

“Married?!” Jason roared beside him. “When the fuck did that bat bastard decide this?!”

“Maybe after you berated him for three hours about putting us on a mission together. Either way, it doesn’t matter. You’re Jason Curnow, bodyguard and husband.”

Tim felt along the bottom of the envelope that had contained their mission information and snorted.

“I will bet you $100 that he had these engraved and embedded with a tracker,” Tim added, pulling two tasteful gold bands from the bottom of the envelope. 

Jason grabbed for the larger ring and peered at the inside of the band. “To Jason, light of my life, guardian of my soul,” he read, snorting. “What a cheesy fucker.”

Tim glanced at the inside of his and frowned. “I guess Jason Curnow isn’t the romantic type,” he shrugged. He slipped the band on his finger and tried not to feel the hurt that came from knowing even Bruce saw through his crush on Jason and knew that in return Jason felt only animosity. 

“Let’s get this over with.” Tim climbed out of the car, channeling his inner pretentious rich douchebag attitude and snapped his fingers to get Jason to follow. And if Tim pretended not to hear the soft growl that came from Jason being snapped at, then so be it.

Tim led Jason into the restaurant and spoke to the hostess who took them to a secluded table in the back where an attractive but overtly villainous couple sat whispering to one another. Evie was wearing so much black leather that Tim took a moment to mourn the cows that died for the sake of her  _ aesthetic _ and Abraham was wearing a suit so gaudy that Tim witnessed an actual double take from Jason.

Tim and Jason took their seats across from the other couple in a moment of tension-filled silence before Evie broke it. 

“I am not foolish enough to believe your bodyguard is unarmed Mr. Curnow, but for our own personal comfort I ask that all weapons are handed over,” she stated. Evie snapped her fingers and a man rivaling Bane’s stature appeared from the shadows with a bin which was shoved in Jason’s general direction. Tim elbowed Jason, sensing the older man’s disapproval for giving all their weapons away.

“Play nice and put your gun in the bin  _ honey _ .”

Jason grunted and reached into his side holster slowly, withdrawing the gun and tossing it in the bin.

“Happy now Chunk? Chunk want Baby Ruth too?”

Tim kicked Jason’s shin hard, drawing a yelp from him. 

“My apologies Mr. and Mrs. Lawson. My husband was raised by a family without manners. I’ve made it my personal mission to train it out of him,” Tim drawled, smoothly patching up what could have been the end of their mission. 

Evie smirked and took Abraham’s hand. “Not all of us can be so lucky as to find someone with a line of exceptional breeding.”

Tim could sense Jason tensing up next to him and if they wanted to keep their covers and complete their mission, he was going to have to find a way to keep him cool until they knew where the Lawsons were importing guns to. 

A waiter appeared next to the table looking more than a little uncomfortable, suggesting that perhaps the Lawsons had threatened him for his cooperation.

“Fetch us four glasses of whiskey and make haste. If you take longer than five minutes, you’ll lose more than just your tip,” Abraham sneered. 

Jason clenched his hand into a fist under the table and forced himself to breathe out slowly to release his anger. If there was one thing he couldn’t stand, it was snobby rich assholes treating the working class like peasants.

“How about we skip the fuckin’ alcohol and get straight to business?”

Tim balks a little and looks to Evie and Abraham, hoping they aren’t about to get lose the deal or worse  _ be killed _ . 

“Your husband has quite the little attitude Carter. I’m not sure my wife or I care for it. We’re here to sell you something out of the goodness of our hearts and for the sake of everyone involved, a bit of courtesy goes a long way.” Abraham’s lips curled down into a disgusted frown.

Tim watched the pair carefully as they looked between each other, making small facial movements that meant something only to one another. But the look in Evie’s eyes when she turned back to Tim told him everything about what was about to happen. 

As Evie and Abraham raised guns in their direction, Jason lunged at Tim, knocking them both to the floor just in time for bullets to whiz through the air over their heads. “Get to the car!” Jason barked at Tim. Despite being shot at, the pair had to try their best to keep up appearances as a playboy and his bodyguard/husband - at least until Evie and Abraham were apprehended and their weapons business had been dismantled. It was too dangerous for Tim to appear as anything other than helpless. 

Jason crawled under the table and laid on his back, kicking hard enough at the wooden surface above him to flip the table at the direction of those shooting at him. It was enough to stun them momentarily as Tim ‘fled’ from the restaurant and Jason stood to take on the couple who clearly weren’t expecting this much of a fight.

“You shoulda just let him buy the guns, because now I’m angry,” Jason spat. He lunged for Abraham first, landing a punch square to the man’s jaw, knocking him to the floor just in time for Evie to surprise Jason by hitting him over the back with a chair. 

He groaned and stumbled a bit. “Bitch,” he grunted. “You better not have wrecked my jacket.” Jason pulled a knife from the table and stalked towards her, knowing full well that Bruce would  _ definitely  _ not approve of what he was about to do.

“I have no intention of laying a hand on you. Of course, the same can’t possibly be said for him.” Evie snapped her fingers but before Jason could even turn to look, he felt the strong grasp of someone of mountainous proportions grabbing him by the collar.

Jason glanced upwards, a nervous smile spreading across his face. 

“Chunk...c’mon man let’s discuss this. How about I trade you my life for a Payda--”

Tim glanced up from the steering wheel as he heard a strangely high-pitched scream drawing closer. When he got out of the car to investigate, Jason’s body came hurling through the plate glass window at the front of the restaurant having been seemingly tossed through it by the Lawson’s thug. 

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Tim shouted, rushing to Jason’s side quickly. It was clear that their only option now was evading the remainder of this fight to regroup and approach the weapons warehouse as vigilantes.

“Get in the damn car replacement! We have to get the fuck out of here now!” 

Tim glanced up through the broken window to see Evie and Abraham escaping through the kitchen while their bodyguard was reloading ammo into the biggest gun Tim had ever seen.

“Oh shit!” Tim bent and pulled Jason up, ignoring any wounds for now because if they didn’t go, that gun would make them both into Swiss cheese. Dick probably would have stopped to make a pun.

The meathead security guard began firing on them just as Tim managed to speed away, bullets flying as they hit the car which was now screeching away from the restaurant. Tim kept driving until he was sure no one was following them before finally heading back in the direction of their lodge.  

Jason knew Tim was angry by the silence and the tension set in his jaw as Tim helped to pry him from the car. They shuffled back into the lodge together, locking down the security protocols before Tim unceremoniously dumped Jason on the couch and went to grab the first aid kit without saying a word.

In fact he remained silent even as he assessed Jason’s wounds, stripped him of his shirt, and began to patch up the ones that needed stitches first. Tim was obviously deep in thought and not giving too much care to any pain he might have been causing but Jason could have sworn that every bit of pain Tim was causing was on purpose.

He hissed as Tim dumped some rubbing alcohol on a wound. “Watch it replacement! Shit stings.”

Tim leveled Jason with a look that could have killed. It rivaled even that of the great big bad Batman and had Jason zipping his lips in no time flat.

“My. Name. Is. Tim,” he gritted out through clenched teeth. “Not replacement, not Drake, not Timmers. To you my name is Tim. --Do I make myself clear?” 

Jason gave a curt nod and quirked an eyebrow, unsure if he was more scared or just plain turned on by the power behind Tim’s voice. 

“Yeah, whatever.”

Tim glowered at him and continued stitching. “Next time we go on a mission together, mind your mouth. This isn’t an alley in Gotham and you nearly got us killed, let alone ruined our mission.”

As soon as Tim finished the stitch, Jason pulled back as if he’d been burned. “Newsflash  _ replacement _ but I don’t owe you a goddamn thing! Including an apology for how tonight went so if you’re sittin’ here expecting one, you have a better chance of hell freezing the fuck over first!”

Jason stalked off to the small kitchen and rifled through every cabinet and the fridge looking for alcohol but he came up empty. “Fuck! Leave it to Bruce to make sure I couldn’t drown you out.”

Tim rolled his eyes and looked at Jason, trying to hide the hurt. 

“Oh yeah because adding alcohol to your mess of a brain would be just the thing we need right now,” he retorted with a small snort. Jason lunged over the counter and before Tim could blink, Jason had a grip on his neck that was growing tighter by the moment.

“You don’t get to speak about anything I’ve gone through. You got that  _ Tim _ ?” Jason sneered and once Tim nodded, Jason tossed him down on the floor.

“The bed is mine tonight. Take the floor for all I fucking care.”

The door slammed in Tim’s face and the young man was left splayed out on the floor, wondering how he ever could have pictured even a friendship with Jason Todd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're enjoying it please let me know! New chapter next week!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the delay! I was on vacation and then my computer was having issues. We should be back on track now!

Tim laid down on the couch but sleep eluded him. He hadn’t wanted to get into a fight with Jason but he had been looking forward to being home for Christmas and now the only way that was going to happen was if he could manage to track down the warehouse and wrap up their operation without any inside information. After trying to fall back asleep for a few hours but remaining unsuccessful, Tim rolled off of the couch and padded over to his computer to pull up the communication system and access to the Batcomputer. It was only around 1AM in Gotham so he knew he had a good chance of catching one of his family members in the cave and hopefully he would be able to gain some insight on the Lawsons that he didn’t already have.

Tim began to sort through some files on Evie and her husband, but all of their properties were listed under LLCs which meant it was almost impossible for Tim to trace things back to one place. They owned property all over the world with an equal number of shipments coming to each one, making them all look legitimate. He needed to find the one building that was getting deliveries either more frequently or less frequently than the others.

He had been working at it for more than an hour when a call rang through. Tim sighed and accepted the request for a video call, rubbing his eyes to appear less tired than he actually was. It was approaching dawn now but the door to Jason’s door remained tightly shut. With a sigh, he focused on the face that appeared in front of him. 

“Timmy! Are you on your way home from Swiss-land?” Stephanie asked, her smile bright in contrast to the dark background. She still had her domino mask on and her hair looked wind whipped. It was clear that she had just come in from patrol. Cass sat perched to her left, head canted to the side as she watched Tim curiously. 

Tim sighed and shook his head. “No...I don’t know when I’ll be back. --Jason got heated at the meeting and blew our fucking cover,” he muttered. “Now we have to hope that I can track down their base of operations before they move. All before Christmas,” he groaned. 

“Did you guys get into a fight? You look like shit.” 

He frowned and looked down. “I don’t get it Steph...one day he likes me and is friendly and the next he’s got me in a chokehold with a knife pressed against my ribs. How are we supposed to function in a situation like being a married couple when I’m left feeling like...like he’d rather shoot himself than work with me.”

“Crush.” Cass murmured, shaking her head. She leapt off of her chair and escaped into the darkness.

“What did she mean by that? --I  _ don’t _ have a crush on Jason,” he stated. Stephanie stared at him skeptically.

“I don’t!” He repeated loudly. Stephanie snorted and leaned back in her chair, arms folded over her chest.

“Tim you talk about him constantly and you follow him around like a lost puppy whenever he’s in Gotham. I know you’re both too blind to see it, but it’s clear that you feel something for him and I would bet an entire lifetime supply of Skittles that he feels the same. You’re both just too emotionally constipated to recognize it.”

Tim scoffed and tried to hide the blush that rose to his cheeks. He had known about his own crush on Jason since before Jason had died but when the former Robin had come back angry and ready to kill his replacement, Tim had hidden that part of him away believing that there was no chance he would ever have his feelings returned.

Steph sighed and shrugged. “Look Tim, we’ve been just friends for long enough now that I can say without feeling any animosity, that it might be good for you to for  _ once _ just express your feelings. I know Bruce tried to train that out of you but it’s not healthy to become a brick wall of no-emotion.”

He sat quietly for a few moments, the lump in his throat taking time to fade. Tim couldn’t give in like Stephanie wanted him to -- not when he knew deep down that Jason would probably either a: laugh in his face or b: punch him for admitting his crush.

“I have to go. I was only logged in to get the specs for warehouses in the area and the computer finished downloading what I needed,” he muttered. Tim didn’t give Steph a chance to reply before he terminated the call. 

Like it or not, Tim knew that he had to broach the subject of continuing the mission with Jason, especially if they both wanted to be on a plane home within the next 24 hours. He brewed a pot of coffee and laid out two mugs before he went to knock on the door to the bedroom. Receiving no answer, Tim went ahead inside, frowning when he saw Jason twisting and turning on the bed as if in agony. Given his own experience with night terrors, he knew that Jason was probably dying to be freed from the hell going on inside his mind. 

Tim approached the bed cautiously as if nearing a wounded animal. He laid a hand on Jason’s shoulder and shook him lightly but only seconds later, Tim realized he had made the wrong move and it was too late to change that. A piercing pain began to radiate outwards from his abdomen and though Tim’s defense training had kicked in some, it had not been enough to entirely dodge the knife that Jason had pulled on him in his nightmare-induced stupor. 

“Fuck…” Tim pressed a hand to his shirt, coming away with blood. Jason was awake now and staring at Tim with a look in his eyes that Tim was struggling to read. Panic? Anger?  _ Satisfaction? _ Jason dropped the knife in his hand and rushed over to Tim, the concern now obvious to the younger man.

“Shit...oh shit Tim I’m sorry I didn’t mean -- fuck!” Jason was still reeling from his nightmare and now he had stabbed the one person who for some reason was the only one willing to give him more chances than he deserved.

Tim winced and stood up, walking over to the bathroom to check out the wound in the mirror. “Relax Jason it’s mostly a flesh wound. I think you just sliced rather than stabbed,” he muttered. Tim stripped his shirt off as Jason rummaged through their things until he found the first aid kit. 

Tim stayed still as Jason focused long enough to disinfect the cut and bandage it. It was Jason who chose to speak first.

“You shouldn’t have woken me. I could have killed you.”

Tim snorted. “Yeah well that would have been the cherry on top of this trip, huh?”

Jason frowned and finished applying the bandage. “You still think I want you dead, after all this time?”

“Well you haven’t been the warmest person to work with Jason. What else am I supposed to think?” Tim asked, adding a shrug as he pulled his shirt back on.

“I don’t want you dead,” Jason muttered. His eyes followed Tim as the other redressed and checked himself out in the mirror. It was clear Tim still hadn’t caught much sleep but Jason knew that trying to get him to sleep when their mission had failed was pointless.

Tim walked back to the kitchen with Jason trailing behind him. 

“What’s the plan now? --Track them to the warehouse?” Jason asked, slumping down into a chair at the small table for two. 

“I couldn’t narrow it down to one building. They own more than ten warehouses that all have legitimate backgrounds and even the Bat Computer couldn’t narrow down where the shipments were coming from.”

Jason smirked and pulled the computer towards himself, logging in to his own server. 

“Getting attacked by their colossal moron had  _ one _ advantage.” Jason smirked and typed in his password, bringing up a locator beacon. 

“In the scuffle I managed to plant a tracker. Looks like the big boy hasn’t  _ passed _ it yet,” he chuckled, watching as Tim made a face.

Tim checked his watch and sighed. “It’s 7AM now...think it’s dark enough to go give this mission a second try?” he asked. 

Jason shook his head and pointed out the sun that was just starting to peek over the mountains. “Sunrise is around 8AM, we’re better off waiting until sunset. Those fuckers have another thing comin’ thinkin’ they can keep pumping guns into my city,” he hissed. 

“Fine, we’ll wait until just after sunset. In the meantime, we both need to eat something and get some actual rest. --I’ll see what Alfred left for us,” Tim stood and winced at the slight pain in his side.

“Sit the fuck down Drake, I’ve seen your kitchen. The best you’ll do is burn whatever food you find.” Jason shook his head and put a hand on Tim’s shoulder, pushing him back down into his seat. The older man glanced back at Tim as he walked into the small kitchen, telling himself that doing the cooking was entirely for survival purposes and not anything kinder.

Tim resigned himself to reading through some paperwork for Wayne Enterprises while Jason set to work preparing a stew from the ingredients he found in the fridge and cupboards. The enticing aromas of the onions caramelizing with garlic had Tim rising from his chair and following the scent to the kitchen where Jason was humming and stirring a pot.

“It smells great in here...where did you learn to cook?” Tim asked, propping himself against the counter. 

“Apparently Alfred cared about me enough to make sure when I was on my own that I wouldn’t starve. --Guess you’re not the favorite.”

Tim snorted and sighed. “I don’t know where you got it in your head that I was anyone’s favorite Jason. Dick is Bruce’s favorite, and Damian is Dick’s favorite. You’re Alfred’s...and I’m just there to make sure they don’t all fall apart,” he shrugged.

Jason remained silent but Tim saw the way the tension in his clenched jaw seemed to increase like he wanted to say something but was holding back. Instead, Jason dished the stew out into two bowls and walked it over to the table with some bread. 

“Eat. It’s getting cold and at least with somethin’ in your mouth, I won’t have to listen to you whine.” Jason took his own seat and began to shovel the stew into his mouth as if trying to avoid having a conversation with Tim.

Tim reluctantly took his seat and trained his eyes down at the bowl. It was never more plain to Tim that Jason wanted nothing to do with him but at the very least, he could enjoy the meal before catching some sleep. 

They ate in silence, the only sound being that of metal spoons clinking against porcelain bowls. Tim cleaned up as Jason retreated to the couch and put a pillow over his face.

“Guess it’s bedtime,” Tim muttered. He was at least grateful that even if it was because of some level of guilt, Jason had allowed him the bed this time. Tim crawled under the blankets and tried to shut his mind off, knowing that in six hours time they would be finishing the mission and heading back home to their separate lives.


End file.
